Marshall Ramsey, the award-winning "Clarion-Ledger" cartoonist, chats with Star 93.5 radio hosts Russ and Traci on Tuesday morning and visits a few MC communication classes.

A nationally syndicated cartoonist and 1991 University of Tennessee graduate, Ramsey is also booked for a public lecture at the Gore Galleries at 12:30 Tuesday and gets the chance to show off 15 of his cartoons on loan from the Mississippi Museum of Art. The event is free.

It's all part of a busy two days at MC for Ramsey, who kicked things off with a brunch Monday with MC communication students and faculty. President Lee Royce and his wife, Rhoda, were on hand for the presentation as Ramsey touched on his love of cartooning, the rapidly changing media business, and being a cancer survivor. He's spent the past dozen years working for the C-L in Jackson. "It has been a blessing. God brought me here," he said of his work for Mississippi's largest newspaper.

During his early afternoon session, Ramsey offered a slide show of some of his favorite cartoons whether the subject was Gov. Haley Barbour, former Attorney General Mike Moore, the post Sept. 11, 2001 world or the impact of Hurricane Katrina. "That day we came together as a country," he said after the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. Ramsey said he always tries to find a silver lining and that's often reflected in his cartoons.

The MC Department of Communication is sponsoring Ramsey's visit. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, Ramsey is booked on the Clinton campus for the Purser Hewitt Lectures named for the former Clarion-Ledger editor.

Happily married with three young sons living in Madison, Ramsey advised MC students never to give up on their dreams. He spoke of his experience working first as a school janitor after graduating college with honors. No matter what profession they enter, Ramsey said students should "have a great time" with what they do in life.

Ramsey also stays on the go as a guest on radio and TV shows. He also illustrates books for his cousin, financial expert Dave Ramsey. His first public lecture at MC is at the Jean Pittman Williams Recital Hall at 7 p.m. Monday at Aven Hall. The event is free.

For more information, contact Vicki Williams or the MC Department of Communication at 601.925.3229 or professor Tim Nicholas at 601.925.3462.

Contact Andy Kanengiser, University News Coordinator, at 601.925.7760 or at kanengis@mc.edu.